The present invention generally relates to information processing apparatuses, mode control methods and storage mediums, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus which processes print data to be printed on a printer, a mode control method which controls a mode of such an information processing apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium which stores a program for controlling such an information processing apparatus.
In information processing apparatuses such as personal computers, a power save mode is provided to reduce the power consumption. Even in a state where the power is ON, if the information processing apparatus is not used, the power save mode puts various parts of the information processing apparatus to a state which is as close as possible to a power OFF state, so as to reduce the power consumption. In the power save mode, data exchanges among the various parts of the information processing apparatus are also put into a sleep state. In order to reduce the power consumption, the power save mode is an essential function of particularly portable information processing apparatuses.
The information processing apparatus is provided with a buffer memory or a spool which temporarily stores print data when connecting the information processing apparatus to a printer and transferring the print data to the printer. In addition, In addition, when no access is made from the user for over a predetermined time, the information processing apparatus automatically makes a transition to the power save mode, so as to forcibly discontinue the operation of the various parts of the information processing apparatus. For this reason, even in a case where the print data which is not yet transferred to the printer remains within the spool of the information processing apparatus, the transition to the power save mode is made based only on whether or not an access from the user exists. As a result, the print data remaining within the spool of the information processing apparatus is cleared when the information processing apparatus is forced to make the transition to the power save mode. Consequently, if the user makes an access to the information processing apparatus after the print data within the spool is cleared, the user must again carry out a print operation so as to store the print data again in the spool and to transfer the print data again to the printer.
On the other hand, the problems described above also occur when the information processing apparatus makes a transition to a power OFF state. In other words, the print data stored in the spool of the information processing apparatus is cleared when the information processing apparatus makes the transition to the power OFF state. For this reason, if the information processing apparatus thereafter makes a transition to a power ON state in response to an operation made by the user or the like, the user must again carry out a print operation so as to store the print data again in the spool and to transfer the print data again to the printer.
The above described problems generated in the power save mode can be prevented to a certain extent by a document creating apparatus proposed in a Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.1-175012, for example. According to this proposed apparatus, a register is provided to indicate whether or not an automatic paper feed of a printer is being made, and the transition to the power save mode is prohibited when the register indicates that the automatic paper feed is in progress.
In addition, the above described problems generated in the power OFF state can be prevented to a certain extent by a printer BIOS resume method proposed in a Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-204481, for example. According to this proposed method, a judgement is made to determine whether or not a printer is operating, and the transition to the power OFF state is prohibited when it is judged that the printer is operating.
However, the proposed apparatus and the proposed method described above basically prohibit the transition to the power save mode or the power OFF state during the operation of the printer. Thus, even if all the data within the spool have been transferred to the printer and the information processing apparatus may make the transition to the power save mode or the power OFF state, there was a problem in that the transition to the power save mode or the power OFF state is prohibited while the printer is operating. For this reason, in cases where a large amount of data is to be printed on the printer, a print speed of the printer is slow and the like, the printer continues to operate for a long time, thereby putting the information processing apparatus in a wait state for a long time.